Sunday, January 22, 2012

We went to Crystal River this weekend to do a little fishing and see the manatees. Every November the manatees swim south for the winter and call the warm waters of the Florida coast home. Swarms of people flocked to the water to catch a glimpse of these gentle giants. The manatee did not disappoint.

It was so warm and the kids wanted to swim so badly.

Brady (my nephew) got brave and stripped down

to his underwear to jump in. It didn't last long for him!

National Geographic was here taking pics for a special!

Everyone was excited to see the Manatees! Even this cute dog!

The manatee is docile, curious and friendly.

This one came up to our boat Saturday and stayed with us all the way up the canal.

Thursday, January 5, 2012

I am going through a very Silver phase right now. I cant' get enough of this shiny, yet full of patina glorious decor that silver offers. I have trays galore in my kitchen, a new (very ornate) napkin holder, and lots of bowls, and serving pieces. It works in harmony with my ironstone and just makes me happy. Here is what I have been pinning lately..

There are so many more, but I don't want to bore you!

I found a few interesting sites that you might enjoy while doing some research on a few pieces I have.

Though we may lament that much old silver has been lost to the whims of fashion or the loss of fortune, we must also remember that the nineteenth century saw a taste for collecting antique silver: Pieces once melted and refashioned began to be collected for their aesthetic appeal. The same period saw a burgeoning spirit of inquiry and research, and as the 19th century gave way to the 20th, scholarly publications and exhibitions brought new information, and exciting pieces of silver, to light. Silver has a past, a present and a future, and, in many ways, it lives in all three.